Born in 1922 in New York City to humble beginnings, Stan Lee is now perhaps the most well-known name in the world of comics and superheroes. His career in comics began when he was 16 by becoming an assistant at Timely Comics, which would soon evolve into Marvel Comics. Lee quickly worked his way up the corporate ladder to become writer and eventually editor-in-chief. In the late 1950s, Lee was given the task to come up with a superhero team to rival the popular Justice League of America. Always preferring stories of heroes with flawed pasts and obvious humanity, Lee, with the help of artist Jack Kirby, created the Fantastic Four, which proved to be an instant success. Stan Lee is also credited with helping create Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and many others. Lee’s contribution to Marvel helped expand Marvel Comics into the entertainment giant that it is today. Stan Lee passed away November 12, 2018.

First known as Timely Publications in 1939, then Atlas Comics in the 1950s, the comic book empire known as Marvel Comics came into being in 1961 with the launch of the first Fantastic Four. With the help of creative geniuses Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Marvel produced 831 comic books, each with at least one new superhero, during the 1960s. Known for focusing on characterization and placing heroes in a real-world context, Marvel’s popularity with comic book readers continued to rise through the decades. Soon, Marvel was sporting a veritable pantheon of pop culture icons, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and Captain America.

Marvel eventually added films to its entertainment arsenal, and has been behind some of the top-grossing films of all time including The Avengers and the Iron-Man, Thor, and Captain America franchises.